Christmas day is here! I can barely hold my excitement. After spending months with a splintered familial unit, both my brothers are back from college and the Jordan family is ready to celebrate the most wonderful day of the year (besides my birthday). We spent the morning tearing open presents while watching the Disney parade on television. Of course, the 2016 edition of Christmas is a little different for last year’s festivities. Most noticeable is the downgrade from our typical majestic tree, to a tabled-size tree. At first the size difference made me wince. Can our finances be so terrible that we can’t even afford a proper tree? Baring the year where we chopped down a small tree in our backyard to use for Christmas, I can’t remember a time in my 24 years of life where we’ve gone one Christmas season without a six foot giant. Luckily, my positive baby sister made the most of the situation and decorated the tree to the nines. While I’m writing this blog post in the family room, the finished Christmas corner actually looks pretty cute.

The multicolored lights really glisten, and the ornaments she placed on the tree (along with some ribbons) gives it a “coordinated chaos” vibe. It made me realize we humans can derive pleasure from the smallest indulges. Look at this art piece by the Flemish painter Jan Van Eyck. I couldn’t help but stare at it during a visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

It’s no larger than a hand yet the landscape has such amazing detail. An extremely small brush must’ve been used in order to create such a realistic stream of water. Two years after graduating I’m still a temporary call center worker, but I still take the time to attend tech conferences and run 5Ks during the weekend. I can’t tell you how many times TA’ing a Girl Develop It course helped unfreeze my mind after a long week of scripted calls. Similarly on Christmas, a pleasant dinner with family has more impact than a large feast filled with tension. An ocean of presents or a tree isn’t needed to celebrate Jesus’s birthday. Simplicity can provide clarity. The YouTube channel School of Life said “A small pleasure is a great pleasure which has not received the collective acknowledgement it is due.” One day I’ll be able to take advantage of the large things life has to offer, but I don’t have to wait for the big moments to be happy. A luscious piece of chocolate can be enough to end the day. Happy Holidays everyone!

On the cold morning of November 19th, 2016 I traveled with my mother to our local high school for the 30th annual North Penn Holiday Craft Market. With harp music in the background I lethargically barged through the tall crowds hoping to see some of the wonderful art Pennsylvania had to offer. Unfortunately, besides some luscious soap and a few painted eggs, nothing seemed to catch my eye.

I was beginning to let my sleepiness get the best of me when I came across a peculiar art display. The wall had numerous mounted prints that were visualization of various puns. For example, one print labeled “Pulled Pork” showed a pig being pulled in a wagon by a young farm boy. I’m a sucker for clever humor, so my body was glued to the display for at least 30 minutes.

It turns out the creator is self-taught artist, Bruce Garrabrandt from Terra Hill, Pennsylvania. According to his website Garrabrandt started working in advertising and later moved on to art and small business ownership. He actually owns a rather charming bed & breakfast establishment in Lancaster county. At first it was unbelievable how a person without any formal training could create such funny pieces, but once I saw his English background, things made sense. Only a person in love with literature and written word could make prints with such clever wordplay. As groan-inducing as people might find puns, it actually showcases some pretty need brain sorting skills as evident by this New York Magazine article.

(Baked Ham on White)

Being relatively poor I didn’t purchase any art for myself. However, I did memorize Mr. Garrabrandt’s website URL just in case I needed some future laughs. He might not be the leader of the next great art movement, but Bruce Garrabrandt’s work is perfect when you’re feeling blue on a dark day.

]]>http://lindsaymjordan.com/pun-for-the-holidays/feed/0“What I’m thankful for” do overhttp://lindsaymjordan.com/what-im-thankful-for-do-over/
http://lindsaymjordan.com/what-im-thankful-for-do-over/#respondSun, 27 Nov 2016 23:50:07 +0000http://lindsaymjordan.com/?p=170Thanksgiving day 2016 was a bit hectic. Without my mini-chef of a little brother Aaron, our kitchen was running without order and synchronization. The turkey started cooking too late, I had a mini-meltdown over rolls, and we almost ran out of butter. It was chaos.

As a result, dinner wasn’t fully ready until 10:00pm. By that time my mind was so weak with hunger I couldn’t even muster a proper response to a question posed by my mother: “What are you thankful for?” What she got from me was a banal “I’m happy to be alive.” Both of my parents give me a bit of a blank stare after I spoke. I didn’t really think about my empty answer until today. They probably thought my response sounded so ungrateful. I have to admit, my thoughts tend to be a bit defeatist and negative so reflecting on the good parts of life is often hard for me.

While thinking about a post idea for this week I kept switching between this idea of personal gratitude or a story about the time I was lost in NYC during the Thanksgiving parade in 2004 (which I’ve written about numerous times). Without much hesitation, the former won out. I thought the weekend would be a great opportunity to reflect on the things in life I often overlook. After replaying 2016 in my head I’m most thankful for:

“A roof over my head”

My fourteen year old self would be a bit disappointed if they looked at my current life. I’m 24 years old who still lives with my parents. I as a temporary worker in a call center that only pays $11.75/hr. I still don’t own a car. Regardless of the seemingly poor circumstances, I can’t really complain about my situation. My life is more privileged than others. Over the past two years I’ve immersed myself in the world of web development, drove beyond my neighborhood, and gained the confidence to reach out to the people I admire. Without a home to recharge at the end of the day, who knows where I’d be right now? I’m sure life would be a struggle. Home gives me an opportunity to stay healthy. Home is a safe place for recovery and personal upgrades. Home is Home.

“Proper cognitive functioning”

When I was a toddler, my life was on a downward spiral. Though I was born a healthy baby, my cognitive abilities later declined at a rapid pace. I was having seizures multiple times a day and doctors predicted I’d soon become an empty shell of a person. Despite her despair, my mother by chance found a program which gave me chance to reverse my predicament.She quit her job and worked with me one-on-one. By eight years old I was seizure free. I was far too young at the time to understand all she did for me, but I appreciate her efforts everyday. Going to work each day is truly a blessing.

“A supportive and loving family”

I love my family, enough said. They give me strength when I am weak (even my little sister, Shannon). We bounce ideas off each other. I don’t have a lot of friends so my family is really my only support system in life. I can geek about k-pop with my little sisters, talk about politics with my brothers, or have girl-talk with my mom. In college I would speak with my mother every single day (multiple times during the day) about problems I had or general thoughts in my head. I have no idea what I’d do without family. We don’t always get along, but no family is perfect.

]]>http://lindsaymjordan.com/what-im-thankful-for-do-over/feed/0Lessons from ElaConf and BarCamp Phillyhttp://lindsaymjordan.com/what-i-learned-from-elaconf-and-barcamp-philly/
http://lindsaymjordan.com/what-i-learned-from-elaconf-and-barcamp-philly/#respondFri, 18 Nov 2016 03:24:38 +0000http://lindsaymjordan.com/?p=146I tend to write pretty long-winded blog posts, but for some reason today, I just want to type up a short, brief list(which of course ended up being longer than I expected) . Over the past two weeks I had the opportunity to attend both ElaConf (a conference for women in technology), and BarCamp Philly (a local “unconference” which encourages members of the tech community to prepare the schedule upon their arrival at the event). I came in excited to learn and prepared to meet at least one new person, and I left friendless, tried, but full of knowledge. Here are a few things I learned from both experiences:

It’s okay to skip the after party

Like I said, I was exhausted and overwhelmed after both conferences. I made halfhearted walks to the bars where the after-parties were being held. I ended up leaving after a few minutes on wandering around the venues. For me the loud noised and dark atmosphere was almost unbearable. I have a very quiet voice, so the last thing I want to do is scream my lungs out in order to have a simple conversation. I badly wanted to add a few more people to my social circle, but I realized sometimes you have to listen to your conscious when uncertainty hits you. People can read when others are uncomfortable.

Bee keeping is cool

The second talk I heard from BarCamp was from a woman named Abigail Fretz. She was a urban beekeeper, a term I had never heard of in my life. For 45 minutes she talked about the joys of beekeeping, wonders of honey, and the startup costs/education needed to join the community of honey loving enthusiasts. My eyes widened with childlike wonder as I listened to her talk. I live in the suburbs, but I’m sure if a family in Lancaster and a woman in Philadelphia can raise honey bees, I can do it too. I just need to take a few classes next year….

Confidence is key to success

This seems very obvious, but for somebody with low self-esteem, believing in myself is harder than it looks. There’s a mental battle (between fear and confidence) that needs to be won before you can say “If I can dream it, I can do it”. No matter how many people I meet or how many new topics I learn each day, how I carry myself matters. Nothing can be accomplished if I’m fighting a mental war. Potential connections would be missed, and opportunities would be lost. For me, confidence is a mesmerizing magnet, it just naturally attracts people. I personally know that some of my favorite figures in literature and media have this characteristic. Since I graduated from college in 2014, I’ve began to realize (the hard way) “nobody is going to care about you as much as you will”.

It’s okay to be vulnerable sometimes

Women are often negatively stereotyped as being weak and overemotional. I know I often cry far too often in times of trouble. However, I don’t think wearing your heart on your sleeve has to be embarrassing. It shows humanity. It proves you are empathetic (which can be valuable in certain career fields). Bottling up your feelings is never healthy and could cause mental burnout later down the line. Instead of minimizing your feelings, try to analyze them instead. You might find they reveal something about yourself or your situation.

Uber is wonderful!

I’m pretty sure I wrote about my first UBER experience, but I am continually amazed with how convenient and cost-efficient the service is for a non-driver like myself. Riding in a car for 10 minutes is so much better than stumbling around for 1 hour in a unfamiliar area. The only mistake I made was picking UBERPool during one of my trips to ElaConf. I saved myself $10, but the ride took at least 45 minutes, and I was almost late for my first talk. I guess sometimes you have to sacrifice time for monetary savings!

I actually completed a 5K run. It’s been one week since my every first 5K and I still can’t believed what happened. After my run I felt like passing out on the road, but I couldn’t stop smiling with glee. Two months ago I could barely run for 60 seconds without stopping, and now I can comfortably jog 20 minutes straight. My face still grimaces during my runs and I have yet to find a suitable playlist, but I can happily call myself a runner.

I’m not quite sure what made me want to start running. I have been trying to start a regular work out routine on and off for the past few years. For some reason I could never stay motivated past a few days. When I was a child I used to exercise on a regular basis. It’s so easy to stay fit when you’re part of a competitive swimming team. I was never the fastest swimmer, and I think that caused me to become disenchanted with the sport. Once I quit swimming at the age of 12 I failed to find a replacement activity, and my weight gradually climbed. For some reason this summer I decided enough was enough. In college, I constantly struggled to walk around the campus (which actually prevented further weight gain) while I was surrounded with fit students running everywhere. It made me feel frustrated. After graduating, things haven’t changed much. At my current job I find myself sitting most of the time which does no favors for my health.

I realized the only way to stop a potential health crisis was to start moving on a daily basis. I considered biking, but since mom had sold my bike, this was not an option. I suddenly remembered Couch to 5K from a failed attempt at running as a teenager. For those who don’t know, Couch to 5K is a running program designed to transform couch potatoes into avid runners within two months. In order to make sure I wouldn’t back down I promptly signed up for a 5K in October. The $40 I paid was non-refundable so quitting was not an option. On my first run I felt like I was going to die. It helped a little to play my favorite K-Pop songs, but I still felt the burn a little too much. This girl was way too weak for a 24 years old. Despite the rough start, I kept up with the routine. Through rain and shine, sickness and health, I carried on jogging. Sometimes a few days were skipped; however, I never restarted the program. Eventually I felt my body strengthen and gain endurance.

Finally, after 8 weeks of preparation, the big day had arrived. My mind was full of nerves as I paced around my room the entire morning. Before the race I ate oatmeal for breakfast and pizza for lunch (which I admit isn’t the healthiest meal). The race site was about 5 minute away form my house so I wasn’t too worried about being late. Within a few hours the English Village Shopping Center was booming with music and filled with excited participants. It didn’t matter that the sky was cloudy, people were just excited to run. For some reason I thought it would be a great idea to bring a water bottle. I tend to get dehydrated quickly, so carrying water around has become a bad habit. Once I arrive at the site I saw nobody had anything in their hands. Awkwardly embarrassed, I quietly placed my bottle on the ground (such a pointless thing to do as I mistakenly picked up a water bottle during the race and ended up carrying it with me the entire time). For the next 30 minutes I confusingly wandered around the shopping center unsure of what to do next. Of course, I’m no stranger to this activity. I pretty much spent most events eating food in a corner (unless I find at least one person to talk with that night).

After much anticipation, the race was ready to commence. My game plan was to jog most of the time and walk towards the finish line if I felt exhausted. Unfortunately, I severely overestimated my stamina and my ability to run uphill. It turns out during my Couch to 5K program I was running for time and not distance. I had no idea 3 miles was so long! Eventually I ended up alternating between a brisk jog and slow-ish talk. I did manage to run whenever I saw a camera/cheering squad, so at least I look consistent on film. I already started towards the end of the line so it was disheartening to see more people pass me by the minute. I know 5Ks are about personal bests, but I had no desire to be in last place.

In the end I placed several spots above last place with a time of 45 minutes flat. As I crossed the finished line I sat down on a corner and panted for at least 5 minutes straight. Luckily, the organizers had post-race food to help with hunger (like tomato pies and hummus with chips). I also learned I still can’t stand the taste of beer (regardless of its supposed pumpkin flavor). After arriving home I realized a few valuable lessons.

Don’t listen to music during the 5K

Don’t wear hats during the 5K

Train on actually 5K trails from now until my next race (Thanksgiving day!)

Get better running shoes (was accosted by dad about this during the drive home)

Learn to push my body to its limits

I didn’t place last, finished with a time under 60 minutes, and didn’t pass out so I think most of my goals were accomplished. Even better I learned to love exercising. I have no idea what the Turkey Trot will hold for me in one month, but I can’t wait to start training again.

]]>http://lindsaymjordan.com/journey-to-my-first-5k/feed/0Fearlesshttp://lindsaymjordan.com/fearless/
http://lindsaymjordan.com/fearless/#respondWed, 19 Oct 2016 23:33:18 +0000http://lindsaymjordan.com/?p=125A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending The Fearless Conference, a two-day event for ambitious women. I’m not looking to start a business however, My current job doesn’t allow for much interaction with like minded women. Long scale conferences and events tend to wear me out, but I always feel a sense of renewed motivation despite my lethargic body. In my opinion, It’s a necessary evil for professional development.

Attending events became an even bigger priority post-graduation. After sending out numerous job applications with no response I realized that I need to turn my weaknesses into strengths and learn to market, refine, and promote my personality/self-image. So, over the past few months I’ve been working hard to improve myself inside and out. From an improved fashion sense to 5K training, Lindsay 2.0 has been coming along quite nicely.

At the Fearless Conference I learned about mindfulness, picked up a few social media promo tactics, got a free headshoot, and I even listened to a company that has an opportunity to pitch their idea on the ABC TV show, Shark Tank. I can’t say I was an extroverted social butterfly, but I met a few new people, live tweeted a few talks, and even took UBER for the first time. It was definitely worth the $100+ I spent for a ticket.

While riding the train home the word “fearless” lingered in my mind. It’s a word that was used quite a lot during the conference. Throughout life I’ve always been a reserved individual; the person who would sit at the back of the class room, too afraid to participate. I’ve never considered myself a type-A extroverted personality. According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of a fearless is “not afraid, or very brave”.

Thinking of this meaning I began to ponder if I’d been unconsciously fearless all my life, and been far too modest to highlight my accomplishments. Maybe I needed to rethink what makes a person fearless? After a few hours I came up with my own pre-requisites for a fearless individual.

Person who does things that makes them nervous but will be beneficial in the long run:

Like I said above, I hate attending conferences and most events. Besides lack of physical stamina, I find myself feeling especially awkward during the networking/mingling portions towards the end of the day. At any given after-party I can usually be found in a corner, stuffing my face in order to avoid copious conversation. It’s not that I don’t like to talk, I just have an immense fear to either annoying the other party or saying something wrong. Comfort is only reason I’m a chatter-box at home. The downside to being so reserved is a lack of friendships and connections for the future. I recently dawned upon me when I get my own apartment, I will be alone, without anybody else to hang out with on a weekend. My little sister even seems to have it better with her small circle of friends she’s known since 2nd grade. When I was younger I never realized how important it was to meet new people and maintain relationships for a strong network. I have slim pickings for recommendations, personal vouching, and insider information. I can’t even use social media properly because I don’t know anyone well enough (this is especially obvious on Snapchat).

I’m sure many of the world’s most famous athletes, business people, and political leaders had to conquer their fears in order to reach the next level in their development or complete a task. I don’t think you can live without fear, but it’s possible to use it as a positive motivation instead of a hindrance. Today I’m attending Code for America’s Philadelphia open house for the first time. I have butterflies in my stomach, but I’m making the trip down to the city anyway. I know even if I only meet one new person and listen to the presentation, my life will be more enriched than it was a few hours prior. It amazes people me how many people I recognize at tech events after attending a wide variety for the past year. I wouldn’t say I’m BFFs with anybody, but it is a comfort to see a familiar face. Everybody has a fear that holding them back (or present inside their mind), but it’s the people that push their anxieties aside who are fearless. I know its easier said than done, but It’s something to work on everyday.

Why can’t my road to self-improvement be smooth? Most of my clothes are sloppy and too large, I’m about 40 pounds overweight and people still mistake me as a high school student. It’s a slow process but hopefully by 2017 I’ll at least look like a capable adult (even though adulting is harder than I though it would be).

This week I decided to take the plunge and sign up for a 45 minute makeover at Sephora at the King of Prussia Mall. Finding the right shade of foundation and concealer is far too intimidating for one person. What if the wrong shade is chosen? I might end up looking like a clown and wasting money at the same time. I though it was wiser to delegate this task to “professionals”who actually work with cosmetics on a daily basis.

On Saturday I dragged myself (along with my family who invited themselves along) to the store and sat down in anticipation. For some reason mom hovered around me, but I quickly shooed her away. The women assigned to accentuate my beauty was named Romaine. I chucked to myself when I read her name tag. How could a parent name their child after a vegetable?

As I looked her in the eyes I saw Romaine’s face was chock full of makeup. She looked so shiny and bright that I feared for my own skin. I didn’t think she’d overdo my makeover since I specifically asked for a fresh, natural look. The procedure seemed to be going well in the beginning. I starred in wonder as my skin was exfoliated, and cleansed and smoothed. I actually felt refreshed and awake.

After the skincare products and foundation were applied however, everything seemed to go downhill. I tried to stay attentive, but it was difficult to keep track of everything Romaine told me. Bronzer, Highlighter, Eyeliner, and Eye shadow. It was all too much. Eventually my mind turned to mush.

When I saw the finished product, my mind was horrified. The Lindsay Jordan I knew was replaced with replaced with a stiff and shiny wax figure. Even my family thought I looked strange. The session required me to make a minimum purchase of $50, so I just paid for my skin products (all the products would’ve cost well over $100). Later that night I fumed in bed, angry and disappointed. “I just want to look put together!” I thought to myself. Simple personal grooming shouldn’t cause stress. I was later encouraged by my coworkers after I told them about my ordeal.

“The whole cosmetics journey is just trial and error” they said. I have yet to venture into MAC (which apparently has a plethora of foundation shades) or Macys so I guess this experience is just beginning. Why can’t it be a bit less painful?

When I first heard I was accepted to attend the Django Girls workshop, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had heard of the Python framework before, but I had no idea why it was necessary. What’s wrong with just using HTML,CSS and a CMS system?, I thought to myself. Like all the other web development events I learned about Django Girls through social media (specifically, Twitter). I hadn’t attended a tech event for a while, and I was itching to get back into the fray.

On Wednesday I got off work, and had my father drive me directly to the train station. I just brought a cute pair of black flats, ready to go. In hindsight I should’ve worn some more comfortable shoes that day as I came back home with a bleeding ankle and a massive blister on my little toe. SEPTA recently had to make a few changes to their schedule due to structural issues, but I never realized the severity of the situation until I walked onto the train about 20 minutes late. In addition, once I arrived at University City, I ended up taking the right bus in the wrong direction. This normally wouldn’t have been an issue, but today the conductors forgot to give me a ticket, which meant I was unable to purchase an independence pass (which allowed me to use any form of public transportation in Philadelphia the entire day). The only thing I had was one bus pass which I wasn’t on the above bus ride. This meant I not only had to walk back to the stop, but also the remainder of journey to Huntsman Hall (where the event was taking place).

Some people might say “why didn’t you take an Uber”? I just don’t feel safe using that method of transportation. I was the words “naive young woman” written all over me. Eventually my tired, aching body made it to Django Girls about 1 hour late. Too late to enough hot pizza, but on time to heard some inspiring lightning talks. For some reason I thought Django Girls was supposed to be a guided tutorial when it was actually self-paced with mentor help. The whole day seemed to go by in a blur. I remember installing Python/Django on my computer, but I couldn’t tell you the minute details of my work process. The mentors were a life saver as they were able to answer all my questions, no matter how minor and obvious they seemed. I left the two day, twelve hour work with hurting head and I didn’t even finish my blog project, but at least a gained some exposure to a previously unknown technology (plus I gained some more experience with Git/GitHub).

If you are millennial or at least a person whose been watch the news within the past week, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the hoopla around Nintendo’s mobile app, Pokemon GO. In a short period it’s rocketed to the top of the Google Play charts even dethroning massive players in the mobile field like Tinder and Twitter.

When I first found out about Pokemon GO, my reaction was mixed at best. The last time I had touched anything related to Pokemon was when played my Crystal game way back in 2002. It was such a big part of my childhood but I had long since outgrown the franchise. Still, as a fundamentally curious person, I had to give the game a chance.

When I opened the app on my phone, old memories rushed to my mind. I recalled all the times I watched the anime on Saturday morning, or yelled in anguish on encountering another Pokemon in the wild (When I had almost reached my destination). Since almost all possible spellings of “Lindsay” were taken, I kept brainstorming until I settled on Lynzee (which is quite a bastardization, but close enough).

The basic concept of the game is the capture as many wild Pokemon as you can, while traveling to gyms in order to battle other Pokemon. If you ever run out of Pokeballs or other supplies, PokeStops are scattered everywhere to help you out. The coolest feature about this app, is its location technology. Depending on where you are, the game shows the various Pokemon, Pokestops, and gyms that are nearest to you. It seems the Pokemon you find are based on a particular area so water types will be closest to the bodies of water, and grass types are in forest and other wooded areas. My only frustration is the lack of variety in Pokemon to be found. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a Rattata, Pidgey, Weedle, or a Sparrow in the past 24 hours.

Apparently as you gain levels and move around, different Pokemon are supposed to appear, but I still have yet to see fan favorites like Pikachu or Jigglypuff. Once a player reaches level 5 they have the option of choosing between three team choices; Valour, Instinct, or Mystic. Right now I’m on level 7 and I have yet to make a decision. Based on what I’ve seen there isn’t much difference between the teams, and any claims of uniqueness is purely superficial.

It’s so amazing how a simple mobile application has changed how people interact within a short period of time. In the past many would just stay instead rather than get fresh air, but now people are embracing nature for the sake of a simple Pokemon capture. My sister was acknowledge by a neighbor in the car for simply playing the game. The priorities aren’t exactly completely aligned, but at least more people are going outside. I don’t know if Pokemon Go’s popularity will last past September, but at least July 2016 will go down as a month to remember.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending The Blog Connect conference. This was a wonderful event organized by Chrystina Capello, Melissa Quinn, and Sarah Moore from the blogging group PHLBloggers. From the time I walked into Saxby’s Headquarters I was overwhelmed with stimuli. So many awesome goodies were available including all-you-can drink coffee, swag bags, and a giant “PHL” balloon to take as many “instagramable” pictures as possible (though the balloons never wanted to stay still). I left the event feeling so reinvigorated with creativity and inspired to create a whole new blog strategy (which is still a work in progress). At first I was going to write a lengthy blog post summarizing the entire event, but I think it would be more “me” to make a short list of observances and lessons I learned. So without further ago, here are five personal takeaways from my time at The Blog Connect.

I need to improve my sense of direction

When I travel to Philadelphia, I’m not exactly most directionally inclined. I don’t have a car at the moment so most of my city transportation is based on the train and trolley. I can read a basic map, but for some reason I tend to walk the exact opposite direction if I’m not paying attention. When explaining directions I tend to speak about landmarks rather than streets or roads. On this day I thought it would be alright to stop at Jefferson Station, a stop I am very familiar with. I was already running a little behind due to reading an old train schedule, but thanks to a long trolley wait, and a 20 minute walk, I was about one hour late for the event and missed my opportunity for a free head-shots ( more devastating than you’d think for a woman who is a bit camera shy). If that wasn’t bad enough I found out in the afternoon that I could’ve gotten off at 30th Street Station, walked for 5 minutes, and arrived on time. I so mad at myself that I had to stop walking for the moment. I have another tech event coming up and this time, I will study the Philadelphia map religiously, and become acquainted with Uber/SEPTA buses.

The entire set up was divine

Saxby’s headquarters was a large open office that had a rather industrial feel, but was beautifully illuminated with large windows on both sides and gorgeous floral arrangements at each table. For breakfast there were bagels with the most delicious spreads from Spread ‘EM, and lunch featured a wide variety of vegan choices (Including a spicy, yet tasty Indian trio). Everywhere I looked there were more drinks than you could imagine from water, to fruit drinks, and even the above coffee bar (which was free and run by Saxby’s staff). When I attend a conference, one of the more important aspects is the location and food options; this event exceeded my expectations in both aspects.

My creative juices were reignited

The Blog Connect had so many great talks that I was overwhelmed with options at times. My favorite sessions had to be the brainstorming session by Lisa Yoder and Bekah’s talk about monetizing your blog. Often I never blog frequently because I feel my life is boring and has nothing to offer others. By writing down everything I’d done and learned within the past year I realized my life wasn’t as bland as I thought. Even now I was so many ideas of things I want to post about. The challenge now is to find the time to sit down and type. I read in another blog that one person wakes up at 5am in order to write her posts. I’m not exactly a morning person, but it’s definitely something I could build up to over time. The second talk I mentioned was given was a woman who had run a very successful Twilight blog. Now I am not a Twilight fan by any means but I found it so interesting how she was able to parlay that into a related career.

I discovered a new love: Commonwealth Cider

In college I wasn’t really much of a drinker. In fact, I would rather stream a television show online or curl up with a good book than go bar-hopping. After the conference was over, there was a happy hour (which was not in a North Philadelphia bar like I thought) which gave attendees the choice between beer, or Commonwealth Cider. I’ve drank enough beer in the past to know the taste isn’t for me. From the moment the cider poured out of the bottle, my life was changed. Never before had I drank something with such a cold, fruity, yet spicy flavor. I don’t think I’ll ever be a huge alcohol connoisseur, but now I have an option if I ever end up at a bar or another happy hour.

I really need to purchase business cards

I had seen previous emails recommending bringing business cards to the event, but for some reason I didn’t order anything. I only became self-conscious when almost the entire room raised their hand when asked if they brought business cards. I’m pretty introverted by nature so I think I missed an opportunity to break the ice a little instead of walking around awkwardly. The next day I rectified this and ordered 100 cards from Vistaprint for Philly Tech Week.